Christmas Day Exercise?

NO, eating less is not an option ; )
Have a safe and happy holiday.

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Looking for Balance

I caught a few minutes of Martha Stewart yesterday. (I always have the TV on while I’m working in the kitchen.) One of her segments was on Yoga.
Martha and her yoga instructor did few rather quick stretching routines. What amazed me was the agility of her guest! She wasn’t a super thin or muscular woman - but she was incredibly flexible! (Wrapping leg behind head, etc...) All of her poses also displayed a skilled control over balance.
I run, bike, walk and lift weights. But what I really need to do is more exercises that promote balance, coordination and flexibility.
(I already tried Qigong but found it to S L O W = boring.)
Can you do a one-legged squat without falling over?



I’m looking for suggestions. Are there any videos or site material you can recommend? (When I Googled balance exercises, I got a lot of hits with senior workouts - no, no not yet...

Fresh ideas?
New Trends In Exercise
Workout on the swing set with Monkey Bar

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I Have A New Idol

“Aging Swimmer Shows there's Hope for Rest of Us."

Boomers love headlines like this. As if by some miracle Dara Torres ended up in this great condition. Swimming faster than a 16 year old.
I know for sure it was not just genes that turned her into a barracuda. It was hard work!

“Her day had begun just after dawn in the weight room, where she worked her legs until they quivered and her arms until they ached — the 90-minute workout was the first leg of her training triathlon. It was followed by 90 minutes of swimming and 60 minutes of stretching.”

That’s 4 hours of training.

Like any fan I’m totally jealous of her fortitude and her six pack. But after watching her video clip on stretching, it’s her flexibility that really stuns me. Wow - she is the real thing!

PS. I did do 40 sit-ups this morning now if I could just pull my left leg up to my shoulder...
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Dara Torres media videos
2008 SwimCam

Above Images
Kill Bill
Time Magazine

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Runners Who Fly

You know the feeling, stuck at an airport waiting for your flight. You usually arrival hours before your actual departure time because federal regulations generate long tedious line-ups. (Most days.)
Hours of time… you could have been running.
I believe, now that the terminals are so massive, there is no excuse not to have a track installed. They would be tailored for folks like us that want to walk, or even run a few casual laps.

Requirements:

• Grassy track preferred but a nice spongy rubber pad would be OK.
• Possible Wii Fit stations along the way.
• Mile markers – ¼ mile increments – so you can track your distance.
• Storage lockers to put All Your Stuff.
• Water fountains.
• Memberships including perky t-shirts with the airport logo on the back. You could start a collection. (Don’t tell NIKE)
• Sky light – so you can pretend your outside.

Perks:

• Feel refreshed during the plane ride. (Just don’t over do it and get all sweaty.)
• Decrease the chance of inflight blood clots.
• And most important…that wonderful feeling that you were able to log a few more miles!

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Asleep At The Gym

I looked at the player which sat naked in my hand, the ear phones were missing…
This should make for an interesting workout – no diversions just workout.
I actually worked each muscle set more vigorously as my focus was on my reps.
Everything was all fine until I jumped on the treadmill!

• 2 minutes – Wishing I wore my glasses so I could read all the small print.
• 10 minutes – The people beside me are talking about roasting a pig. And I don’t want to hear anything about it.
• 12 minutes – The sound of the treadmill motor is putting me asleep. White Noise Trance.
• 17 minutes – Watching the fitness class in the pool. Even the lifeguard looks board.
• 25 minutes – Decide to do a heart rate test to see what percentile I’m in. Using the BIG CHART on the wall...HR 120 – upped the ramp.
• 30 minutes – trying not to look at the Hot Tub. It’s so damn warm in here!
• 35 minutes – Getting off NOW. Mildly impressed that I lasted that long!

Have a great weekend and don’t forget your ear phones!

A Sleep At The Wheel

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Running By An Old Tree

I take it as a sign. This morning I spotted a young woman performing yoga under one of my favorite old trees in Eugene. I’ve just started thinking seriously about getting into yoga. The many years of running has left me inflexible and prone to injury. Now I know it must be the right time...

--- Trees I Run By ---

I frequently divert my run off the river path to run through the
Owen Rose Garden. It’s so fragrant when the roses are in bloom. (Over 4,500 rose bushes.)
But it’s this magnificent cherry tree that really draws me in. The limbs all knarly as they reach out over the roses. Like some wise Yoda it stands guard. Sadly, some of the lower braches are now supported with metal poles – we all get old...Today it was in full bloom.

A Black Tartarian Cherry
Live Web Cam
Prunus avium

This tree is 140 - 155 years old. Its trunk circumference 21 feet!
It continues to flowers profusely in the spring.
It is considered the largest cherry tree in Oregon, and possibly the entire United States!
Ref. Eugene Tree Foundation (pdf)

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Foot Refresher

“During a 10-mile run, the feet make 15,000 strikes, at a force of three to four times the body's weight.”

As a runner you should not ignore your feet! Most of the time we take them for granted until they hurt... There is a long list of foot injuries that can slow us down and make our run miserable.

"Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 112 ligaments, and a network of tendons, nerves, and blood vessels."
- AAPSM

It is truly a wondrous device meant to propel us!

I massage my feet everyday. I apply scented oil (currently using Body Shop’s lavender oil) to the whole foot and deeply rub in over a couple of minutes.
Get in touch with your feet!

• This video massage shows some nice techniques including
  TOE MASSAGE [OMG] and delectable foot twists.
• A really good diagram illustrating 3 layers deep of the bottom of the foot.
• Foot massage techniques

Image - Henry Gray (1825–1861)

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Everyday is a Training Day

Even thought I don’t run everyday – Everyday is a training day.
When I’m prepping for a race there is not a single day go by that I don’t think about some aspect of the challenge.

*Physical* Nutritional* Psychological

Last year while I was training for my very first half marathon, I was totally obsessed with the notion that as I increased the mileage injury would ensue. Every little pain was the precursor to some fatality that would derail me from my goal - > Completing a half-marathon. This year, however, the mental part of the training is vastly different. I know my body can run 13 miles – and feel great at the finish line.
So this year, I’m upping the ante – to finish faster.

Physical

Do some form of physical activity everyday. If not a run or walk day; work-out with some weights. When I don’t go to the gym I have an assortment of hand weights (2lb – 25lb), strength bands and a Swiss ball to play with. Include squats and sit-ups.
(I incorporate these 4x a week.)

Nutritional

Try to keep your immune system happy. Eat healthy Foods! You know what the bad foods are. (I won't get on my vegetarian rant.)
Food is Fuel for a runner.
This year I gave up my pre-run cup of coffee. It was not as important as my running/training. (A huge sacrifice for someone who depends on caffeine just to wake up.)
Can’t go wrong:
1 bagel + 1 banana + 1 Tbsp nut butter (about 75 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides 12 grams of protein

Psychological

Keep your thoughts untainted, positive and filled with strength. I try to remember what I have already accomplished instead of beating myself for what I have not done.
Practice visualization techniques.

“The ability to visualize a desired outcome is built into your brain… help you succeed in matching that picture with your performance.” Michael J. Gelb

I have a short video clip of me crossing the finish line last year – smiling and cheering. I play this over in my mind when struggling with running just one more mile.

Eugene Marathon
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Favorite Core Workout on the Roman Chair

>>>On Assignment<< Amy of Runner’s Lounge has started a meme for fellow running bloggers. She assigns a topic pertinent to running and offers us a chance to run with it.

The theme this week is: Strength and Flexibility

Core body training is an important component to any exercise program. With a strong core you are less likely to succumb to injuries of the upper legs and back.

My absolute favorite Core training activity is the vertical Leg Raise.
I use the Roman chair at the gym. When I first attempted this exercise many years ago, I could barely support my own weight on my elbows. Now I can easily do 3 sets of 10 including twists. I do not do straight leg lifts because of low back issues. But bent knee lifts are very effective. This bodybuilding site recommends to start with 3-4 sets of 25-40 reps – and advance to - 2-3 sets of 50-100 reps.
[Yeah, right]

Roman Chair Directional Clip

Some of the muscles involved in this workout:

• Iliopsoas
• Rectus Abdominis
• Obliques
• Sartourius
• Rectus Femoris
• Adductor Longus
• Adductor Brevis

Actual Audio of Me performing this at the gym last week ; )

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